SANTA MONICA, Calif.,
April 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Global
content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), Tony Award® -winning
producer Jill Furman and
best-selling author R.J. Palacio announced today that Palacio's
bestselling children's novel Wonder, which was adapted by
Lionsgate into a $300 million
grossing worldwide box office sensation, will be heading to
Broadway. Furman will be taking on the stage adaptation as lead
producer. The book has been on the New
York Times bestseller list for seven consecutive years and
has sold 16 million copies worldwide.
Wonder tells the heartwarming story of Auggie Pullman, a boy born with facial
differences who can't blend in because he was born to stand
out. The film adaptation was directed by Stephen Chbosky from a screenplay by Chbosky,
Steven Conrad and Jack Thorne, and starred Academy Award® winner
Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay and Owen
Wilson.
"I am beyond happy and grateful that Wonder is being
adapted for theatre by this incredible team," said Palacio. "What
I've always loved the most about musical theatre is its
timelessness, its ability to resonate around the world and across
generations. That Wonder and its message of kindness is to
become part of that canon for the ages is, quite literally, a dream
come true."
"RJ's indelible characters leapt off the page, and I wept
through the movie. I couldn't help but feel there was a musicality
to the characters' voices and their story," said Furman. "At a time
when 'otherness' is under attack, Wonder celebrates
difference in a beautiful way that we should all admire and
emulate."
"Wonder inspired millions of fans worldwide, and bringing
it to the stage presents an exciting platform to continue to share
its heart-warming message to 'choose kind'," said Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate SVP, global live &
location-based entertainment.
Wonder's planned adaptation to the stage follows the
recent announcement that Lionsgate will bring its hit television
series Nashville to
Broadway, kicking off a series of live stage productions based on
iconic Lionsgate film and television properties.
Founded by two-time Tony Award® -winning producer Jill Furman, Jill Furman Productions is
currently represented by Hamilton, playing on Broadway and in
London's West End as well as
touring the U.S.
Additional Furman Broadway and
national tour credits include: In the Heights (Tony Award®
for Best Musical, 2008), Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella,
The Heiress, Seminar, West Side Story, The
Drowsy Chaperone, Sly Fox and Fortune's Fool. Off
Broadway: Freestyle Love Supreme, On The Line and
Adult Entertainment. Jill received the Robert Whitehead Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Commercial Theatre Producing in 2011.
The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Brown, Eva Feder, Senior Vice President of Business
& Legal Affairs, and Stefan
Schick at Loeb & Loeb LLP and for Jill Furman
Productions, by Scott Lazarus of
Lazarus & Harris.
Additional information, including the complete creative team,
will be announced shortly.
About Lionsgate
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A,
LGF.B) is a global content leader whose films, television series,
digital products, and linear and over-the-top platforms reach
next-generation audiences around the world. In addition to its
filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing
presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, video
games, e-sports and other new entertainment
technologies. Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a
nearly 17,000-title film and television library and delivered
through a global sales and distribution infrastructure. The
Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and
groundbreaking content created with special emphasis on the
evolving patterns and diverse composition of the company's
worldwide consumer base.
CONTACT:
Stephanie
Kay
Lionsgate, Corporate Communications
Skay@lionsgate.com
(310)-255-3675
Jim Yeager
BREAKWHITELIGHT
jim@breakwhitelight.com
Office: 424-644-0225
Cell: 818-264-6812
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SOURCE Lionsgate